My current dryer is dying and it is so old that it is not worth fixing. I need to get a new one soon, because I fear every load I dry in this one will be the last. It makes such racket (that is the least of its problems) and the stupid lint tap is on the top (so lint goes everywhere when I pull it out :mad: ) My price range is about 500 bucks or less.
So Anyway… recommend me a new dryer:
must be a gas dryer
large capacity is a must
energy saving
lint trap in front- not on top
moisture auto dry sensor would be nice
I have been looking around, but I just don’t know what is good 
Maytag. About 12 years ago I bought a new house and needed a new Washer/dryer set. I had just finished fixing my mothers Frigidair dryer (when it really was Frigidair) and was pissed about the part that I had to replace. it was one of the guide rollers that surround the drum. All I could think of was the jackass who decided to use such a small bearing with the guide. I was all set to buy a Whirlpool when the Maytag district rep walked up and asked me why. He proceeded to show me a Maytag display dryer and yes, the bearings where twice the size of the one I just replaced. FYI, if you rotate the drum and it doesn’t do this smoothly you might have a warn guide. You could replace this yourself if you’re in the DIY mode. I recommend you have help with the gas lines if you’ve never messed with them before.
I’m not a big fan of fancy electronic washers/dryers. One more thing to break and you pay extra for it. Most good dryers will have a moisture sensor.
Stay away from the Sears Kenmore models in that price range. We foolishly followed Consumers Reports advice and got a highly rated Kenmore model. The thing is mediocre. Not as quiet as others. Had to have its circuit board replaced within a month. I think Whirlpool may be the OEM, but I am not certain these days.
I wish I could recommend something.
defective electronics will usually fail in a month. Although I’m not a fan of electronic equipment in household utility products it doesn’t mean the mechanical parts are bad. Most warranties area a year for electronics which will cover the majority of those types of products. As an example, I had a microwave and a papershredder fail in a month. I didn’t hesitate to get replacements and they both have worked fine. The microwave has been going for 12 years.
Sears generally sells quality stuff so don’t sweat the electronic failure if you want to get a Kenmore.
For every complaint there is a recommendation from someone else. I have a Kenmore gas dryer and it has been working very well for 15 yrs.
My SIL has an old kenmore gas dryer that is probably 20 years old- It is that lovely shade of avacado green. It has worked well so far for her.
I agree that having all the “fancy schmancy” electronics on a dryer and such is asking for trouble. I prefer buttons and knobs. Some dryers look like they have mini computer moniters on them 
I am thinking I will probably go over to sears and lowes tonight and check out some dryer models IRL. How they look on a webpage are vastly different than how they look and feel for real sometimes. I was proably going to look at Whirlpools, Maytags and Kenmores. $500 is the high end, I would like that to inclue the tax also. So I will probably pick a dryer much less than that, considering I have to get a new 'fridge this summer too- but already know what kind I want to get
Thanks for the gas line reminder. My FIL and husband will be installing the dryer. They both have experience with gas lines and installing appliances. But it is a good thing to mention to get help with ifr it is unfamilliar territory:D
Go to Sears, get a Kenmore. There all about the same, really, and you want to get it where you can get the best service down the road. Sears ain’t goin’ nowhere soon. They have thier own service centers and techs. They will fix it if there is a problem.
If you have a problem with something you bought at “Best Buy”, you will get to talk to some high-school kid who got hired there yesterday. :rolleyes: If you get it from some local discounter, he will be gone in a month and a Wal-Mart parking lot will be built where his showroom was.
Thats the way I see it.
*Related, odd-ball tip: Wanna know what the good/bad appliances are? Go to a new housing tract. (Yeah, like you can find one of those in Las Vegas! 
) See what they put in the model home. That will be a good one. See what they put in the actual new construction homes. Those will be shit.
New houses come with washers and dryers?? I did not know that. Then again, I didn’t but a new house. My house is 23 years old (a shocker for the Vegas area) and the w/d was here when we moved in
I will probably buy at Sears, I just like to check prices (Sears price matches anybody) Not like that would help if I decide on a Kenmore… Sears is the only place that has those. Plus, I would never buy a major appliance from “Bobs Appliance Emporium” or the like, much too shady for me.
Well, when I bought a new house, the developer would have put in a washer and dryer, had I been willing to spend 50% more than the retail price. (You should have seen the look on my rep’s face when I plopped a price sheet in front of her and told her that I could buy the double oven myself for less than they were charging me to “upgrade” to the double oven from a single oven and microwave.)
Anyhow, another vote for Sears. Primarily because the price was competitive, the salespeople knowledgable, the installers competant, and the service available. The last one is the biggest, I know exactly what number to call when anything goes wrong on any of my appliances.
-lv
Well, tonight I am going to get my dryer at Sears. I can’t take the horrid noise my dryer is making- it sounds like I am drying bricks :eek: and I decided to go ahead and get my new refrigerator too. That is a splurgy thing (plus I really need to replace the fridge with the duct tape in it and my b-day is coming up soon). But Hey! We just sold the Land Cruiser so we are turning one hunk of steel into another.